Lesson objective: to extend understanding that drawings and equations can be used to represent and solve multiplication and division situational problems.
Students bring prior knowledge of unitizing and definitions of division from 3.OA.1. This prior knowledge is extended to using drawings to solve word problems as students draw and use pictures to solve mathematical situations. A conceptual challenge students may encounter is thinking multiplication and division are discrete and separate operations.
The concept is developed through work with diagrams which visually support students as they work through the problems.
This work helps students deepen their understanding of equivalence because students use drawings and equations to represent and solve problems using equivalent numerical expressions.
Students engage in Mathematical Practice 1 (Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them) as they model multiplication and division using diagrams, arrays, number line.
Key vocabulary:
- diagram
- equation
- twice